“Can we talk? Privately?” he asked.

“Lady Reid will not be going anywhere alone with you,” Gytha cut in, eyeing him suspiciously.

Keeping his focus solely on Reid, he said, “The Reid I know would never let someone else dictate what she can or cannot do.” He folded his arms, the challenge clear.

“And the Gordon I know would never let the king welcome soldiers from another kingdom into Marsden just to take over Axian.” She watched his reaction closely, hoping to glean some knowledge.

Gordon stiffened.

It was all she needed to see. “Has the king been hiding things from you? His commander? His own brother?” Taking a step toward him, she whispered, “But that shouldn’t surprise you. After all, he tried to kill your own mother with his bare hands.”

He flinched, his face paling. “Who told you that? Ackley?”

“How can you support Eldon?”

“He’s my king!”

“What about the foreign army?” she demanded.

“I’ve only heard rumors.”

“Didn’t you think to investigate?”

“There’s only so much I can do.”

Disappointment filled her at his cowardly answer. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She turned and strode away from him, holding her head high even while her hands began to shake. Once she was safely around the corner, she slumped against the wall.

“What was that?” Gytha demanded.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Lady Reid, but you are one complicated individual.”

“Dukes Willer, Tucker, Slader, and Lyndr brought fifty soldiers each. Dukes Ryder, Cartr, and Bridger each brought twenty,” Gytha murmured into Reid’s ear.

They were in the dining hall, everyone mingling since the food hadn’t yet been served. “And my father?”

“No one has seen anyone wearing Ellington livery.”

“That means, in addition to the Axian soldiers on hand, we have an extra two hundred and sixty men.” Such a paltry number, Reid thought, fighting the despair threatening to rise within her.

“Lady Reid,” Gordon said as he slid up next to her. “You’re a difficult woman to talk to.”

Because she’d purposefully been avoiding him all evening.

“I want to know where my brother is.”

Disgusted, she glared at him. “You lost your king?”

“Not that brother. Ackley.”

Oh. She hadn’t even considered he might want to know where Ackley was. “He’s busy,” she said, purposefully being vague.

“With Ackley, I can never tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Depends on whose side you’re on.”

He eyed her. “Aren’t we all on the same side?”

She shrugged, choosing to neither confirm nor deny her stance.

Gytha cleared her throat, nudging Reid.

“Prince Gordon, I don’t think you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my dear friend and personal guard, Captain Gytha,” Reid said, making the introduction Gytha clearly wanted.

“You’re the commander of the king’s army?” Gytha asked, eyebrow cocked.

“Yes.”